What Doesn't Kill Us Makes Us Stronger
by Corantien
Summary: A budding love between Sheldon is Penny is ruined by a jealous friend and the end of the world... Or is it?yo (If you're not into Shenny and AU then don't read!)
1. Chapter 1

**What doesn't kill us, makes us stronger.**

_Quote by Friedrich Nietzsche_

No money's being made. I do not own TBBT, I just play around with it and I love the Shenny.

Long one-shot (I hope :-p) Italic is someone thinking or writing.

* * *

Leonard was poking his salad with his fork while thinking about Penny. They broke up a couple of months ago and although Penny said she wasn't seeing anyone, Leonard felt there was someone.

"Leonard, I do believe the chicken in your Ceasar's salad is already absent from it's life." Sheldon said. Raj snorted in his soup and Howard miffled a giggle. _Seriously... A giggle? Are we sure they're not gay?_ Leonard thought.

"I'm not hungry." He said.

"Penny?" Raj asked. "Penny." Wolowitz nodded, already sure of it, because it's the only thing Leonard was thinking of the last... Oh I don't know... Years!

Sheldon stiffened in his chair, looking cautiously at Leonard from under his eyelashes.

"I think she's seeing someone!" Leonard suddenly said out loud and he threw his fork down, huffed out loud and folded his arms like a petulant child. He looked up and saw Sheldon's eye twitching.

"What. Do. You. Know?" Leonard said, taking up his fork again and pointing it threatingly at the genius. The others went quiet and looked at the confrontation.

"There is no need to point that infected fork at me, Leonard. Do you know how many bacteries are on that piece of metal? I can do the math I you'd like..." Sheldon started, trying to divert the attention.

"Tell me!" The fork poked his cheek. Sheldon pulled his head back and went to take a napkin to clean his cheek that was propably being eaten away with Leonard-pesticides at the moment. But Leonard was faster and grabbed all 4 napkins and dropped them on the ground.

"LEONARD!" Sheldon shouted outraged. "Oooh, this is going to be goooooood." Howard chuckled while rubbing his hands. Raj just nodded excitedly.

"TELL ME!" Leonard shouted again, by now Sheldon's eyetwitching went to an extreme and he stood up from his chair, it screeped loudly over the floor and a lot of heads turned their direction.

"Very well. I asked Penny if I may court her." Sheldon said, a blush spreading over his cheeks.

"YOU WHAT!" 5 voices said at once. Sheldon looked around and saw Kripke en Leslie listening into the conversation.

"What!" Leonard said again "How? Why!"

"Because I've fallen in love with her." A loud thump, Raj was unconscious and Howard looked a little green.

"After Howard's wedding and your break-up with Penny. Again. I noticed several things."

"Like what?" Howard asked.

"Amy and I were not working out and she terminated our Relationship Agreement. I did not feel saddened by this and I wondered why. I talked with Amy and I came to the conclusion that my affections already were taken by none other than Penny."

"Affections? But... Aren't you a robot? Or what? You haven't got a deal!" Leslie said.

"I have no idea why you are mingling into this conversation and I think it's rude, but to answer your question. I do have a deal and it's Penny. I spend a lot of time with her and..."

"I DON'T WANT TO HEAR THAT! What did she say? Did she say 'yes'?" Leonard shouted.

"She said she wanted to think things over and has done so the last couple of weeks. I promised to not push her and give her all the time she wants. I do not want her to hasten her decision."

"And she will say 'no'." Leonard said.

"How do you know that?" the confused genius asked. Raj his head peeped out from under the table.

"Who wants to be with you? You have no feelings, you're selfish and you have no idea how to handle a woman. She'll die from sexual frustration alone, I know Penny and she thinks you're crazy. She's too good to be with a guy like you."

"I'm not crazy, my mother had me tested and Penny has been with you. I'm a much better mate than you are. For one I'm not lactoseintolerant and..."

"That's beside the point! You're a frakking freak! You'll never make her happy, just like you make everybody around you unhappy! You. Do. Not. Deserve. HER!"

Sheldon reeled back like he just got slapped really hard in the face. The whole cafetaria was silent.

"But..." a hoarse Sheldon started. Leonard interrupted, "And you know what, you're an asshole too and a bad friend. It's againts social conventions to date your friend's ex. If you like to pretend to be human, try being one first."

"I did not know this rule. I... I apologize Leonard." Sheldon said and he turned abruptly. Shuffling out of the cafetaria with his eyes down.

"Dude... That was pretty harsh." Raj said to Leonard. "I don't care. He's not going to get together with Penny."

* * *

Knock knock knock "Penny!"

Knock knock knock "Penny!"

Knock knock knock "Penny!"

"Hellooooo Doctor Neutrino!" a beaming Penny said opening the door.

Sheldon kept himself in check as to not correct her on her idiotic opening lines.

"I came here to tell you I don't want to court you anymore. Goodbye." And he turned away.

"Wait!" Penny yelled and grabbed his arm. "Why?" her eyes were so beautiful and filling up with tears. Sheldon couldn't stand it and looked at his toes. "It's against social conventions and I don't think I can bear to see you any longer."

"Why!"

"Goodbye Penny." And Sheldon shook her hand off of him and went into his appartment.

Both cried themselves to sleep that night.

* * *

**2 months later...**

Life went back to normal after a week of silence. The four friends were eating in the cafetaria when suddenly 3 men in black came in. They headed straight to Sheldon. "Dr. Cooper?"

"Yes?" And being the Southern gentleman he was, he stood up and held out his hand but they did not shake it. "I'm Agent DeVito. Remember that phonecall a couple of years ago with code 93, Doctor?"

"Ofcourse! I have an eidetic memory and an I.Q. of... Wait? Code 93 you say? What are you saying!?" Sheldon's eyes widened.

"Yes Sir, we have to escort you immediately to the Pentagon." The biggest agent of the three said.

"But... My work here? And my family? My friends?" Sheldon almost started hyperventilating.

"Your cooperation is non-optional Sir. You have to come with us, now. The helicopter is waiting."

Sheldon turned frantically to his friends. "Howard! Keep close tabs on Bernadette, know where she is at all times. Raj! Contact my family and..." The three agents gripped Sheldon by the arms to drag him out before he could say anymore. Sheldon showed a surprisingly amount of strength by ripping himself free and he clutched Leonard to him. Leonard was frozen in confusion and fear, this was so unlike Sheldon. "Leonard." Sheldon whispered in his ear. "Open the box under my bed. The code to open it is Penny's birthday. Follow my instructions. Promise me Leonard." The agents took Sheldon again by the arms and this time less friendly. He went with them, struggling and looking back.

"Promise me!" He shouted over his shoulder.

"Leonard!" And Sheldon saw Leonard give a nod and the genius relaxed at once.

"What... What was that all about?" Howard asked. Raj just stood there with his mouth wide open. People were staring at them and Doctor Gablehauser looked angry.

"I don't know. Maybe he hacked into their satellites again?" Leonard said.

_Leonard_

_You are propably wondering what is going on by now. A couple of hours ago I got a call from the Pentagon. I can not tell you what was said, but you know how hard it was for me to keep a secret. I decided to write a letter immediatly as to inform you as much as possible._

_I'm in Washington D.C. by now and there is an emergency that needs my high intelligence. I prepared a box specially for this situation and you must follow its instructions._

_There is going to be some sort of attack and I'll do anything in my power to get you all to safety. Trust me. If I'm not back in the first 3 months then I want you to go on with life as you knew it. One day I'll be at our doorstep again to come and get you or to come home forever._

_I cannot say more on this matter._

_Live long and prosper._

_P.S.: Tell our friends about this, but they must keep the secret._

Leonard needed a couple of minutes to calm down and think what to do. He searched the rest of the box and found 6 backpacks. They all had basic survival stuff in it. Also a lot of maps, notebooks, astronaut food and protective clothing.

"What the hell..." Leonard started. He saw a backpack with a hello kitty key ring on it. An envelopcorner was pointing out of the front pocket. Leonard took it.

'Penny' was written on top of it. He could not keep his curiosity away and ripped it open so he could read the letter.

* * *

Leonard went back to the livingroom. Amy, Penny, Howard, Bernadette and Raj were all waiting for Leonard to say something. He read the first letter out loud.

"What's in the box?" Howard asked.

"Some basic survival stuff. I have no idea why."

"Should we panic?" Amy asked. "Social studies show that in case of impending doom people may start panicking."

"No..." Leonard said pointedly. "It's obvious Sheldon did something wrong and is just overexagerrating things."

"He does do that sometimes..." Howard murmured. Raj leant over and whispered in his friend's ear.

"Raj wants to know when Sheldon is going to get back."

"Well... We don't know that. Sheldon said that if he does not return in 3 months we'll have to go on living our life like we've always done. I don't know any much more than you guys, stop asking me questions." Leonard felt himself getting angry and the others noticed too.

Finally Penny opened her mouth.

"We trust Sheldon. Let's just do what he told us to do and wait 'til he comes back. He'll tell us then what happened. I don't think there is any reason to panic." She played with the hem of her Cheese Cake Factory jeans skirt. Trying to hide her turbulent feelings. She was scared for Sheldon and she was going to miss him. But they'll just have to trust him and everything was going to be fine. Right?

The others nodded.

Leonard asked himself if he should feel any guilt.

* * *

**6 months later**

"Why don't you come live with me. You could be my new roommate." Leonard suddenly said while the guys and Penny were playing Halo. Penny was beating their asses... Again... While complaining about her failed auditions and the fact her power got shut of. Again...

"But what if Sheldon comes back?" Penny said.

"We haven't heard from him and he did say that we only had to wait 3 months to go on with our lives. You get to save money and I don't think Sheldon will mind if we tell him this. It's reasonable."

Raj and Howard stayed silent.

"Alright... But I'm not allowed in his room. I'll stay on the couch until we get some news from Sheldon." Penny said.

"Alrighty!" Leonard grinned, things were looking up again.

* * *

**Next: 2 years and 11 months later**

Alright... No one-shot. I can't help it! Review!


	2. Chapter 2

**2 years and 11 months later**

Penny was bringing a plate with a freshly made burger over to the corner table with the annoying kid when suddenly the lights flickered. Everyone looked up.

The lights went back on and everyone at the diner continued as if nothing happened.

Again the lights flickered and then they went out.

"Everybody, don't panic. Probably just a little fluke in the electricity maze." Her boss said. A baby started crying.

Penny got goose bumps. Something's wrong and her gut instinct backed that feeling up. She gave a napkin to the mother of the crying baby so she could clean her blubbering infant.

_"Oh Penny", _Penny thought, "_blubbering infant. Really? That's something Sheldon would say."_

A little twinge in the place where her heart's located reminded her of how much she missed her crazy whack-a-doodle.

"Let me get you another napkin." Penny smiled at the frustrated mother trying to control her child.

Just when she turned Penny spotted the trembling water in the glass on the table. She frowned.

_"What the..."_

And then hell happened. The ground started trembling.

When her boss started yelling "Just a minor trembling!" to reassure his customers, a crack appeared on the wall. A great big crack spreading further and further while the trembling worsened.

People started screaming and children crying. The baby cried even louder now.

Plaster was coming down from the ceiling. This was no minor trembling!

"Everybody get under the tables. EARTHQUAKE!" She screamed out loud. Grabbing the mother who held her crying child and ducked under the table when bigger pieces of ceiling came down.

The ground started shaking harder and harder en you could hear grunts of pain and uncontrollably sobbing.

"Oh God! Oh God" someone cried.

Penny held the woman and child close to her chest. Trying to protect them from the crumbling building.

In a matter of minutes the whole world turned into chaos. And then... Silence.

"Is it over?" a young woman asked.

"I think so." Someone answered.

Penny, trying not to show she's afraid, crawled out from under the table.

"I'll go look outside." She said and made her way through the rocks and overturned chairs and tables.

What she saw outside made her almost lose her lunch and she felt a piece of innocence die at the same time.

People were screaming and crying. Running wildly through the streets. Cars burned, alarms sounded and just in front of her on the pavement lay Carl. A fellow waiter at the cheese cake factory. His head smashed in. Blood everywhere.

"Carl!" Penny choked, she pressed a fist to her mouth to keep from hyperventilating.

The earth started to shake again.

"Sheldon!" Penny screamed, terrified of her fate.

* * *

"Is it over?" Raj asked with an even more difficult to understand accent. The fear was making his voice shaky and uncertain.

"I think so... What's the odds of two earthquakes." Howard whispered back into the silence of the dark basement of their building. More a statement than a question.

Leonard stood up and made himself as tall as possible to reassure himself he was still alive and in control of his faculties.

"Come on guys. Let's get home."

"I need to find my Bernie first!" Howard cried. He tried calling but she didn't answer. "We need to find her! She was visiting Amy in the Biology lab."

Leonard took a deep breath. He wanted to just go home and wait for help, but he had to help his friend.

"Allright. Stay together!"

The three of them left to find Bernadette and Amy. What they saw on the way there was pandemonium.

"She's still alive. She's smart." Howard repeated over and over again.

"Ofcourse she is dude." Raj said to calm his tearful friend.

"Howie!" A yell sounded in the hallway.

"Bernadette! Oh God! You're safe!" Howard ran to his wife and clung to her with all his might. Kissing her face and touching her hair just to make himself see she was still alive.

"We could duck under a dooropening. It was something I was taught by my mother. Those places were the strongest during a quack. We were very lucky. I saw my lab-assistant on the way here." Amy said and then started crying non-stop.

Her lab-assistant... Or what was left of it. The strong calculating Amy couldn't take this. Raj en Leonard held her, preventing her from falling on the floor with grief.

"Let's go to my appartment." Leonard said.

The others quickly agreed. "What.. sniff.. about Penny?" Amy tried saying smoothly but failing miserably.

"Penny's a big girl. She'll come as soon as she can. I think she was already done with her shift."

"But Leonard, Penny always works overtime..." Bernadette started to say.

"She's fine!" snapped Leonard back. "Let's go now!"

* * *

Luckily their building was mostly spared. Just some cracks in the walls, broken windows, a couple of stairs stood up a little and the door was splintered and cracked open because of the pulling and pushing the building has done during the earthquakes.

Dust was covering the whole place and when they walked into the appartment. The first thing to notice was the person sitting in the sofa. On his spot.

"SHELDON?" five voices yelled at once in disbelieve.

Sheldon stood up and approached his long lost friends. He let his eyes go over them and counted.

With a deathly whisper in his voice he asked.

"Where. Is. Penny?"

* * *

**Isn't it exciting? :-D Review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Where is my lucky Penny?**

"Sh.. Sheldon?" Leonard stammered again.

"I'm comforted by the way you still state the obvious after almost three years. Could anyone of you fine people tell me where Penny is?"

"She's at work." Bernadette said.

"Maybe she's on her way here." Raj tried some input.

"At work? Maybe on her way here? You are all here and no-one thought of checking Penny at the cheesecake factory?" Sheldon asked unbelievingly.

"She's independent. She'll make it here. Just wait and see." Leonard huffed out.

"Has it never occurred to your inferior minds that she could be wounded? Or worse? DEAD?" Dr. Cooper yelled.

The others cowered a little back. What has happened to Sheldon? Amy who had calmed down looked her ex-boyfriend up and down. Sheldon had filled out a bit. He was still the crazy lanky mad genius. But his body was more toned, arms more musled. His hair was longer and slicked back and he wore a three day old beard, at most, which gave him a ruggish look. He wore jeans, with a white shirt and a darkblue leather jacket. Sturdy boots and his body language screamed anger, but above all, utmost control. His shoulders were always straight as if in a military stand and blue eyes, darker now because of the anger, were still sparkling and looking around as if memorizing things at lightning speed.

Yep, still a mad genius.

"Sheldon. Please, calm down. Can you tell us what's happening?" Amy asked with a trembling voice.

When hearing his ex's shaky voice Sheldon turned to her and measured her up.

"You've been crying. Are you hurt?" he stated.

"A friend just died in the second quake." Amy told him.

Silence.

"My... my sincere condolences." Sheldon said with a faint hesitation. Still looking at her to see if he said and did the good thing.

Amy smiled, under the crazy and the new exterior, it was still unsocial and awkward Sheldon.

"Are you going to offer me a hot beverage now?"

Sheldon laughed his funny gaspy smile. A grin almost reaching his eyes.

"I would, if there was time." He turned back to Leonard. "Where are the backpacks? Have you followed my instructions? Do you remember?"

"The backpacks are still under your bed." Leonard sniffed. He too had noticed the new look on Sheldon and it made him raise his hackles up.

"My bed? Is it still my bedroom?"

"Yes, Penny didn't want to touch it, even when she moved in."

A twitch in Sheldon's eye. He had caught onto Leonard sentence implying Penny's and his renewed relationship.

"I see..." Sheldon said silently. There was silence while he was processing the new information.

"Sheldon? What's going on?" Howard finally decided to speak up.

"Doomsday, gentlemen and ladies. Gear up! Remember my apocalypse training days?"

The men nodded.

"Scenario 12 from the summer of 2008. Get ready!"

"Scenario 12?" Bernadette asked her husband. "Howie, what's scenario 12?"

Howard was thinking deeply, trying to remember the summer of 2008.

"Holy cow!" Raj exlaimed. Eyes wide open. He remembered.

"Indeed people, so if you'll please move now? Extreme ice age. Earth crust displacement and possible extinction if we don't move! Suit up!"

"Were are we going?" Bernie asked in panic.

"If I remember correctly. We're going south." Leonard answered.

"Correct, but first we'll collect Penny." Sheldon stated and then took out a walkie-talkie.

"Sierra Papa Target not here. Delay mission for 1 hour. Do you copy?"

"Copy that Captain Cooper, 1600 hours at meeting point. You copy?"

"Copy. Over." Sheldon said into the walkie-talkie.

He turned to his wide eyed audience.

"What?" he asked irritated.

"Captain?"

"I'll explain on the way. Let's get Penny."

Everyone geared up and looked around at the appartment where they had so many important moments together. Howard squeezed Bernadette's hand. Amy looked longingly at Penny's appartment. To see their friend strut out once more. Leonard was collecting all his puffers. Raj ran to the dented fridge to get more water in his backpack.

Sheldon took something from the wall and put it in his bag. Then he took a bottle out of his pocket and squeezed some hand sanitizer out.

"Ieuw, dust." Sheldon grumbled and then proceeded out the door. The others trailing after him.

* * *

Penny helped escorting the last person out of the ruined building and swept her forehead clean of sweat. Her hand turned up greasy and bloody. Her headwound from crumbling walls has almost stopped bleeding. Her uniform torn and filthy. Her body aching and an extreme, never felt before, tiredness taking control of her limbs.

"Penny?"

"Huh, what?" Penny said out loud, was she imagining things?

"Penny!"

Yep, propably hit her head too hard.

"Penny!"

A silhouette formed into the dust clouds. Two, three, four... Then arms gripped her into a group hug.

"You guys came all the way here for me?" Penny cried.

"Euhm... Yeah sure!" Leonard said, gripping the blonde even more tight.

"Oh God, thank you!"

The group laughed relieved and cried at having lost their world as they know it.

"Penny, don't be alarmed but someone came back to rescue us. To rescue you." Amy told her bestie.

"Wut?" Penny asked dazed. A tall darkhaired, blue-eyed man stood before her.

Her mouth dropped open. This was even more unexpecting than the earthquake. Scrap that! Than two earthquakes following eachother closely.

There was her crazy professor. He was looking at her like a starved man looking at desserts.

"Penny..." he said with a hoarse voice. Not daring to make a step forward.

SLAP!

"How dare you!" Penny felt the sting in her hand after she said this. The red handprint on Sheldon's cheek the only evidence of her lack of control.

"YOU LEFT WITHOUT SAYING GOODBYE! YOU LEFT! WHY?"

Sheldon tightened his mouth and squared his jaw.

"Hit me if you'ld like." He said. His eyes turning defiantly, back straightened, arms behind his back. Pure instinctively military stand. But he never looked her in the eyes again.

"Sheldon? Explain please." Penny cried.

"There is no time for that. We have to move on. Leonard give her her backpack. The helicopter is waiting."

"Wait, what the frak?" the waitress yelled.

"Penny, just go and listen to him." Amy reassured her best girly friend. "We have to go."

"Allright. But YOU!" and she pointed her finger at Sheldon "YOU WILL explain yourself. LATER. Understood?"

"Perfectly Ma'am." He answered with a Texan drawl.

Only an hour later in the chopper heading south did Sheldon let his mask slip for a second while looking in the rearview mirror at Penny. Penny was sleeping on Leonard's shoulder. Exhausted from the turbulent and emotional day. Leonard's arm possessively around her shoulders.

Only then did Sheldon let himself go for a second. And a look of utter and complete heartbroken agony passed over his face.

* * *

Poor Shelly...


	4. Chapter 4

**Another chappie**

"Penny, wake up. We're here." Leonard softly said.

"Hmm, what..?" Penny blinked and yawned. "Where... Oh.." when realisation hit.

"Miss, this way please." A soldier said when he opened the door of the helicopter.

The group of friends followed the soldier who was talking to Sheldon in hushed voices.

"Ah, Captain Cooper!" a bald 40-year something man said with an awesome moustache.

"Sir!" And Sheldon and the soldier directly sprang to salute their superior.

"At ease." The man said goodheartedly.

"So these are your friends you've been talking about all the time."

"Yes Sir."

"I see. They will be of use when all of this is going to hell."

No answer to that.

"Let's set them up in their quarters shall we. Where are my manners first. Colonel Nightingale. But you can call me Sir or Colonel."

"Yes Sir." The group chorused. The colonel looked them over, his eyes lingering on Penny for a second longer, then looking at Sheldon with a glint in his eyes.

Sheldon's cheeks warmed up and the colonel chuckled.

"Let's go."

* * *

"I still don't understand what's happening." Bernadette whispered to Amy while marching through dark underground tunnels. They've passed a couple of spacious rooms with military and whitecoated people.

Amy wanted to answer her friend when the Colonel interrupted.

"I believe Captain Cooper has some explaining to do. I'll leave you to it." And he left them at a door.

"These are your quarters." Sheldon said with a nod to that door. They entered, Sheldon holding the door open and staring straight ahead even when Penny passed the threshold and looked up at him questioningly.

"Wow." Howard said.

The room was not very big. Tripple bunks at each side of the wall. A table in the middle, a wash basin, a mirror and one metallic closet filled out the space.

"Bathroom is down the hall at your right. Men sleep on one side and women on the other." Captain Cooper explained.

"Ahem, and I are married." Howard said with a suggestive wink.

Sheldon stared at him.

"Euhm, right. Never mind." Howard mumbled, a little scared of Sheldon.

"What about material, clothes, food...? Everything?" Leonard asked.

"In the closet are clothes and shoes suitable to your needs. I hope you still have the same measurements as the last time I saw you. If not, we will look for other clothes and shoes. When the bell rings." And he pointed at a bell above the entrance. "Then it's time to eat at the cafetaria. You walk into the hallway back where you came from. We passed it on our way here. There's a phone next to the door for emergencies or when someone needs to contact you. A speaker in the corner. "Sheldon pointed at the mentioned corner. "Will warn you of imminent threats with an alarm or will give public announcements. Is that all?"

"Sheldon." Penny began.

Sheldon froze up a little and turned to the blonde. His eyebrow went inquisitively up.

"Tell us everything that happened since you've left. Please?" Penny started to get pretty desperate for information.

"Very well." And Sheldon sat down at the head of the table, the others soon taking place with him.

"Years ago I received a message, a phonecall from Washington. They explained they will have need of me. I asked why. Their best team of climatologists and geologists and a lot of other –gists, I don't have time explaining all of them, predicted a disaster."

Leonard opened his mouth to ask questions, but Sheldon put up his hand to silence him.

"Let me continue, then questions. Global warming made great chunks of the ice caps fall into sea. The water mixed with the salt water of the sea, disrupting nature's current and causing extreme weather behaviour. It's getting worse and they wanted me to prepare. They've selected me because of my brilliant mind to help their team, make calculations and other things to prepare for the worst and help rebuild the world if necessary. I'm head of the Calculus Department. We're responsible for the equations that follows nature's behaviour. It's difficult, because nature's hard to predict. I help build programs too for defense and evacuation. My team and I work together with teams all over the world measuring the slightest disturbance in our apparature. Only recent did we notice a sudden but extreme disrupture. And we knew the time had come. We cannot save anyone, but we'll try as hard as we can. We've made evacuation plans, but nonetheless, the losses will be great. That's why the army is starting to round up all the useful persons to rebuild the new world when all of this is over. It could last for years, decennia, maybe more until nature will be stable again. They asked me to select my family for the safety evacuation procedures and I did. Here you are."

Silence followed.

"But Sheldon... We're not your family." Raj said.

Amy saw the tiny flicker of hurt in Sheldon's eyes and she held herself back when she instinctively wanted to comfort him.

"I called my family. They've made their decision. They believe in God Almighty and when he thinks their time is up, they'll have peace with it." Sheldon's eyes were hard, his voice unwavering.

_"Good God, these last years have done a big number on Shelly... To make him this hard." _Penny thought.

"When I told my superiors of my family's decision they said I had to take peace with that and I agreed but asked them to evacuate my other family here. My friends. First they disagreed,but I convinced them of your uses. You're all very smart and _yo_u'll have a chance to teach and restart the new world."

"Sheldon. I'm not smart." Penny said "I'm not like one of you guys."

"Aaaw, Penny, don't be that way." They started saying.

"You've a pretty face." Leonard tried to joke.

But Penny's face showed them how hurt she felt.

"How did you get me here?" She asked Sheldon.

"Maybe because you're a big old five?" Howard laughed.

"HOWARD!" everyone yelled indignantly, Penny blinked some tears away.

"There's no time for fooling around. I do hope you realise what's going to happen. You'll probably never see your own families again." Sheldon said and stood up. "I'll see you at dinner." He left.

The room was silent.

"Oh God." Bernie said and started crying uncontrollably.

The realisation set in. Their families would die and they would hopefully live. They felt selfish and grateful at the same time.

Penny suddenly remembered a script she once did for an audition.

_"So this is how survivor's guilt feels."_ She thought to herself.

* * *

Inspiration for the 'end of the world' comes from Wikipedia, The Day After Tomorrow and 2012.

Ladies and gentlemen, I'm on roll!

Review please, it really makes my day and it's writer's food for me. ;-)


	5. Chapter 5

**We're in the army now.**

TRIIIING!

Raj jumped up from his bed and hit his head on Howard's bed above him. He hated bunks.

"That's propably the signal to go to dinner." Amy said. The others nodded. They've changed into the clothes that were in the closet.

Amy's clothes were a little bit to big for her because she lost a few pounds in the last years. Raj had trouble with his pants, he couldn't get the button to close, but he took his belt from his old pants and that helped keeping his pants up.

"I may have gained a few kilograms. But that's because Howards Mum makes delicious muffins on Saterday!" he peeped indignantly when the others grinned his way when he was cursing his pants.

"Don't involve my mother into this!" Howard jokingly said back.

The clothes were black leather. Black pants, black vest and a white shirt. Black boots with rubber soles making squeaking noises on the floor when walking.

Penny's jacket was too tight to close over her chest, so she let it hang open, which gave drooling Leonard a good view of her perky breasts stretching the white fabric.

She rolled her eyes.

The girls had gone to the bathroom together and took turns showering while the others stood on the outlook. Penny felt much better after cleaning her hair and plucking the debris from her body. A brush for her hair, a toothbrush and even a cream for moisturizing her skin were in the cupboard. They all had their own shelf with their names on it. Amy noted that there were almost thirty names on it, most of them military.

Penny spotted a bag with make-up on the shelf of Private Tientjen.

"Think she'd mind if I used some of her mascara?" Penny grinned wickedly.

Bernadette smirked and Amy rolled her eyes.

* * *

When they walked into the cafetarie, Penny at the head of their group because she had the biggest balls, a lot of heads turned their way. Especially Penny's way.

The blonde felt a blush coming up, but squared her jaw and went on, looking for a free table.

She spotted a table with two soldiers and six free chairs.

"Do you mind if we sit here?" Penny asked them with her sweetest smile.

"No problem, go ahead." The female one answered her.

The group let out a relieved sigh, being accepted was very important to them.

Penny started the conversation. "What are your names?"

"I'm Private Anna Tientjen and this is my brother Ruben Tientjen." She said.

"Oh.. Oh! Private Tientjen?" Penny asked.

"Yeah?"

"I'm so embarrassed. I just... You see... We had to leave very quickly and I hadn't time to grab... And then... You know.. I'm euhm..."

"You used some of my make-up, didn't you?" Anna said with a twinkle in her eyes.

"Yeah, I'm so sorry. I'm going to pay you back!" Penny spluttered out.

"That's fine. Don't worry about it. There are almost no females in this section and I'm happy to share with my new friends." Anna said with a grin and a silent question in her voice.

Penny, Amy and Bernadette smiled too.

"I'm sure we'll get along just fine." Penny winked.

"Let me introduce you to my friends. This is Howard, he's an engineer and went to space once."

"Hi!" Howard said.

"This is his beautiful, and recently made, wife Bernadette. Bernie here is a Ph. D in the microbiology department. Amy here is my bestie."

Amy smiled very widely.

"She's a neurobiologists and great with apes."

"They don't much differ from humans." Amy joked.

The group laughed.

"This is Raj Koothrappali. He can be a little bit shy, but he's a great guy specialised in astrophysics."

"Pleasure to meet you." Anna said with a wink.

Raj smiled awkwardly back and even his chocolate coloured skin, as he often refers to it, couldn't help him from gaining a red tint in the face.

Anna smirked at her brother, Ruben just rolled his eyes.

"And last but not least, my roomie Leonard. He's an experimental physicist." Penny ended with a proud smile to all her friends.

"I didn't know you remembered all those things or even knew what they meant." Leonard said disbelievingly.

Penny felt insulted but didn't show it to the rest of the group. Amy gave Leonard an elbow in the ribs.

"Oompfh!"

"So..." Penny continued. "Tell me more about yourself." She asked Anna, but looked at Ruben who has of yet still has to say a word.

Ruben just smiled sheepishly and made some hand movements to his sister.

The group of friends looked nonplussed.

Anna answered with her own pattern of intricate hand movements.

"You're deaf?" Amy blurted out.

Anna laughed out loud. "No, he's not. He had a tumor in his throat when he was little and they hade to remove it. The operation damaged his speaking abilities, but he survived. And after treatment Ruben learned to speak like the deaf.

"That is so interesting!" Amy said out loud.

Ruben blushed and when Amy started to communicate with him in sign language, his face cleared up and he started answering her in the same way.

"How do you...?" Anna and the rest of the group started to ask.

"Sign language. Apes. How do you think I learn them anything?" Amy said.

Ruben laughed soundlessly and made a move.

Amy and Anna laughed with him, like he just said a good joke.

"What'd he say?" Howard asked, feeling a little left out of the conversation.

"Ruben asked: Rewards and punishment? You know like conditioning."

"Aaah" the group understood and laughed.

Ruben looked quite proud to make them all laugh with his joke.

"You want a cookie now." Amy joked back, making the table of friends who just included two new members laugh anew. Tears rolling down their cheeks.

Dinner continued in the same manner, with fun and tales while eating their necessary calories.

"So, tell me more about what happens here. Do you know anything of Sheldon?" Amy suddenly asked.

Ruben and Anna looked at eachother with a frown.

"I don't know if we should tell you about him." Anna started.

"Oh, come on! We're his friends. You can tell us everything." Leonard said.

"Well..." then suddenly Anna's eyes went wide. She and her brother sprang up and saluted.

Sheldon and the colonel had just entered the cafetaria. Looking around.

"At ease!" the loud voice of Colonel Nightingale boomed through the room. Every soldier went back to eating and talking. Albeit a little bit more quietly now.

"What was that all about?" Raj asked.

Anna giggled. "You're in the army now." And winked.

Raj stuttered again and then fell silent.

"Hey" a soldier who walked up to their table said "Ya new 'ere, ain't ya beaut'ful?" he asked Penny.

Penny rolled her eyes and answered "Obviously."

"Wut d'ya say if I joined ya?" then he eyed the blonde up and down and Penny felt like filth.

She narrowed her eyes and was just about to give the man a retort when suddenly.

"That's quite enough butchering the English language, Private Donovan. Leave Miss Bouvier alone. Return to your table." Sheldon said in an authorative voice.

"Yes, Sir, yes!" Private Donovan said and returned to his mates.

"Miss Bouvier?" Everyone said at the table.

"How did you know my last name?" Penny asked Sheldon.

"There are a lot of things I know. Starting with all the important facts of the universe. You know this Penny, I'm a physicist." Sheldon whined back.

That's the old Sheldon alright. The friends felt more at ease when they saw their old friend back. Even if it was just a shimmer of his character.

"Are you joining us too?" Amy asked.

Sheldon looked around and then nodded. He pulled out his disinfectant and wiped the table and his bench. Then placed his food down and placed six napkins next to his plate.

Leonard laughed "You haven't changed a thing, have you?"

Sheldon stiffened and then just shrugged.

Everything returned to normal at the table, but Sheldon did not once mingle in the conversation. He cleared his plate systematically and then left the table with a quiet goodbye and a distracted expression on his face.

"Where's he going?" Penny asked.

"He does that all the time. I'm even surprised he came out here today. Must be because of you." Anna said.

"What do you mean?" Bernadette asked.

"Captain Cooper always eats in his quarters or at his desk. If he remembers to eat. Most of the time he's too busy working to remind himself of his basic needs. He barely talks to people and never socializes. Only about three times he's been here and it was on colonel's orders." Anna replied.

Ruben made some signs.

"Yeah" Anna answered and then translated Ruben for the rest of the group "His nickname here is the Monk. Because he lives ascetic, like a recluse and works all day and most of the night."

Everyone was quiet to mull things over.

"But he's still Sheldon, right?" Howard asked.

* * *

Okay, feedback people? I can see how many of you visited my story. I'm begging here for some recognition of my work. Is it good? Bad? Improvements? Something? Virtual cookies to gain!

Ciao!

Xx


	6. Chapter 6

They've been at the military underground base for a week now and have barely seen Sheldon. On the other hand, they started feeling a little at home. Anna and Ruben were two new great friends who showed them around and introduced the group of friends to other people.

A Private approached them with orders from the colonel to assign them to their tasks. Bernadette and Amy had to help with the supplies and food. Testing it and calculating how long they would survive on it and how much they would need. They studied the behaviour of the animals who were in a reservate an hour drive underground with a golf cart from their base. When they came 'home' in the evening they talked hours about new persons of interest they met and the lab they could use.

Howard and Raj were assigned to the astroteam. They kept track of the disturbance in the earthly rotation caused by the earth crust displacement that was slowly taking hold of their planet by following and measuring stars and their distances. Their days were filled with equations and looking through telescopes. Anna often dropped by when she was not training to talk to Raj. Something definitely was blooming between them.

Leonard was assigned to the team of Sheldon and he often saw the crazy Cooper. When they asked him about Sheldon he could only grumble that he was still as irritating as before. Barking commands to everyone and keeping tight reigns on his equipment and subordinates. He had a somewhat awkward camaraderie with the people who worked for him, making Leonard feel a little alone. But he made a friend in Ruben who tried to use the simplest signs to keep Leonard company.

Penny had nothing to do. She sat by herself for two days in the room she and her friends got assigned. Waiting for them to come back and talk about their amazing days. She felt useless. Howard had suggested she asked someone if she could be of any help in the kitchens. She felt a little worthless, but she would make her contrubition to the new world. Even if it was a somewhat demeaning job in her eyes.

Sheldon watched Penny. Kept tabs on her and let people report to him about her and his other friends. He knew he was no good in the feelings department, but he still noticed Penny's unhappiness serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. He frowned to himself.

The next day he walked up to her in the cafetaria.

"Hello, do you want some extra vegetables? They're pretty yummie and... Oh Sheldon." With her easy flowing character she made quite a few friends and collected lots of admirers. She brightened everyone's day and didn't Sheldon notice it.

"Penny. Take of that ridiculous hat and follow me."

"But I still have to serve.."

"Come with me."

"Where are we going?" she asked, hurrying after Sheldon who walked very fast with his strong long legs.

"You'll see."

"Hello Captain Cooper." A midthirties woman said to him with a gentle smile.

"Hello Mrs. Nightingale. This is Penny."

"Euhm, hi!" Penny said shyly.

"Hello, my dear. So you are Penny? Shelly here has told me all about you."

"Has he now?" Penny asked with a glint in her eyes.

"Ahem, yes well. I have work elsewhere. G'day ladies." And he went off.

"Look, you seem like a really great person, but could you please tell me what I'm doing here?" Penny asked confused.

"Hasn't Sheldon told you anything?"

Penny just shook her head.

"He said he noticed you were bored and that you were given tasks that do not suit you. He praised your social talents with my husband the colonel to reassign you to new tasks."

"New tasks?" Penny's ears perked up.

"Yes, my dear girl." And Mrs. Nightingale opened the door to a room full of children. "These are the children of the staff who work here. We have some sort of daycare or schoolcare. I don't care how you see it. The older ones get lessons, but we still have some younger ones under the ages of 10 who need someone to look after them and we're really shortstaffed."

Penny smiled. She loved children. "What should I do?"

"Read to them, there are lesson plans on the desk with basic math etc. I'm sure you'll do just fine. At four o'clock they can craft something. You can even choose the theme. And it would be nice to give them some motivation to spread their wings and explore their talents."

"Alright!" Penny said and went inside to introduce herself to the children.

The rest of her week was filled with singing songs, giving exercises to the children, crafting something, play games, read books and other fun but important stuff. It wasn't all that fun all the time, however Penny loved every minute of it. And when some of the toddlers got picked up by their parents they hugged her and offered their sweet 'see you later'.

"'Til tomowwow Mizzus Wenny!" Andrew yelled over his father's shoulder.

"Bye!" Penny waved. She couldn't wait to tell her friends about her new responsibilities.

And she couldn't wait to thank Sheldon.

"Yes Captain, if we compare this outcome with the outcome we had last week we can easily deduce that..." the private looked up. "Euhm Sir, someone's here for you." And he pointed behind Sheldon's back.

Sheldon straightened up, suspecting the colonel of a surprise visit, and turned. Penny. The surprise showed in his eyes.

"Hi." Penny said softly. Sheldon was quiet for a sec. "Dismissed." He said and his team gave them some privacy.

"Penny?"

"I hope I didn't disturb you?"

Sheldon looked at the clock, his team got five minutes more early off. So it wouldn't be such a great disturbance in his meticiously followed agenda.

"No."

"I wanted to thank you."

"For what?"

"For reassigning me. I feel more useful now and more happy. So... Thank you, Moonpie."

Sheldon froze in shock, after all this time... She called him Moonpie. It did not irritate him at all anymore. He was silent a little longer. Penny sighed and started to turn away.

"Penny... You.. You're welcome." And he started fidgeting with the corner of his jacket.

She walked up to him, very close and Sheldon felt uncomfortable with Penny invading his personal space. But oh God, her delicious scent.. Her hair.. Her perfect mouth... She was even more attractive to him than last time he saw her.

"Why did you leave?" Penny asked trying to look him into the eyes but he looked anywhere but into her scourching eyes.

"I already told you, I..."

"No, I don't mean that. Why did you walk out on me? I was going to say 'yes'."

Sheldon's body froze up for the second time that day and then he finally dared to look in her eyes. The tension was growing strong between them. His eyes flickered to her lips and tiny puffs of air mingled together. Penny's pupils dilated and then... Nothing.

Sheldon ripped himself away from her penetrating gaze.

"It was against social conventions. Anyway, it doesn't matter anymore."

"Yes, it does. Why do you say that. I've waited for you for almost three years. I've felt lonely, but I thought it would be all worth it when my crazy whack-a-doodle came back. And now I've got you back and you won't open up to me!" her eyes were getting all teary. She hoped Anna's make-up was waterproof.

"It was against social conventions. You don't chase your best friend's ex and it doesn't matter anymore because you're with Leonard now!" Sheldon roared.

The tall genius blinked surprised, he's never let himself get so carried away and he never yelled. His perfectly trained control over the years has abandoned him and all because of the influence of Penny in one week time. His Meemaw, the one he would never see again, had taught him never to raise his voice against a woman and what had he done...

"Penny. I apologize. I shouldn't have yelled at you. Now please, leave me be, I've got work to do."

And he turned away.

"Leonard and I are not together. I was serious when I said I was waiting for you. I've slept on the couch. My head..." here her voice broke "... laying on your spot, just to feel close to you. And when you were gone I regretted every moment of not deciding at once to have you. Because now I will never know." Penny choked up completely and with tears rolling down her cheeks she ran out.

Sheldon was completely still and then ran after her. His long legs catching up with her, sooner than she wanted.

"WHAT?" Penny yelled when he touched her shoulder. She turned around and eyed Sheldon hurt.

"You're not together?" he advanced on her.

"Tell me again." He commanded, Penny was with her back against the wall now. Sheldon put both of his hands on the wall, closing her in and never braking eyecontact.

"I'm single."

"Did you read the letter?"

"The one with your instructions?"

"No, the one in your backpack. Your hello kitty backpack."

"No, I haven't read a letter. Why?"

"It explained everything about my... regard for you.."

"Your.. Regard?" Penny asked incrediously.

"My affections." Sheldon whispered uncertainly.

"What do these affections tell you now?" Penny asked with a flirty tone.

"Penny..." Sheldon's voice went very deep and hoarse, making Penny's hair stand up, a shiver travelled her spine when hearing that seductive dark Sheldon voice.

"Yes." She almost moaned back.

Sheldon's breathing went very fast, his eyes were dark as the midnight blue sky.

"May I court you?" his eyes searched her face for a clue.

Penny smiled at him. "I thought you'd never ask Moonpie."

Sheldon was trying to control his trembling limbs and started closing in on Penny's face. Purpose clear.

Penny smiled devillish in a completely seductive way.

"Then court me." She said and ducked out of his arms.

Darting through the doors into her quarters.

Sheldon blinked his eyes, a mad power had seized his body and for once in his life, his brain had stopped thinking. When he had himself under the much desired control again he smirked. Then let out a gaspy chuckle.

Penny heard him while leaning on the other side of the door. Her heart beating furiously.

She smiled very broadly.

_"I've waited long enough for you Moonpie, the game is on."_


	7. Chapter 7

Two days later, Penny was still on cloud nine when a knock sounded at their door. Being extremely happy and overactive the blonde almost skipped to the door to open it.

"Miss Bouvier?" a Private asked.

"Yes?"

"Hello, I'm Private Douglas, but you can call me Richard. I'm part of the recreational team here. We're responsible to make sure everyone receives some distraction."

"Yeah..." Penny encouraged to go on.

"We're doing a play. It's really a bunch of amateurs writing some sketches based on Alice in Wonderland. We're still looking for an Alice and Captain Cooper heard us talking about it. He said we should ask you because he remembers you to be really talented at being an actrice."

"He did?"

"Yes, he was full of praise about your performances." Richard said.

Penny blushed "Oh well, I'm really not that good, I mean, I'm just a wai..."

"Go on Penny, you should take the role." Amy said.

"Yeah! You should." The others agreed.

"Oh alright then." Penny smiled.

"Could you do something for me?" she asked the private.

"Anything for our future star." He smiled.

"Ahem, Sir?" Private Richard said.

"Mmm yes?" Sheldon said without taking his eyes of the map.

"I have a message for you, from Miss Bouvier."

Sheldon's head snapped up, suddenly afraid of hearing a rejection.

"What did she say?" Sheldon demanded in his most authorative voice.

The private tried to not visibly cower away from his superior. The others in the room looked on the scene with surprise. Captain Cooper was always so collected and since when was he interested in someone?

"She said thank you." Richard said.

Sheldon visibly relaxed and even smiled.

"And?"

"A.. And that she... Pardon me Sir, but I quote, that she would be imagining her taking you on that desk you hardly seem to get away from." Private Douglas was extremely red in the face now and didn't dare to look at the Captain.

Sheldon let out his gaspy laugh to the imminent surprise of everyone.

"She did, did she." He smiled. "Thank you for the delivery of her message. You may go."

The others awkwardly shuffled around a bit, until most of the tension desolved. There would be lots of talk tonight at dinner.

Penny was at dinner with Anna. The others were held up by their work when suddenly Anna jumped to attention.

"At ease." Sheldon's voice rumbled behind Penny.

She turned and looked up at her tall man in the most seductive way she could manage.

"Hello..." she said in a low voice "Captain..."

Sheldon leaned forward, placing his hand at Penny's sides on the edge of the table. Noses very close.

"Well hello there, Penny. Didn't see you there for a moment."

They stared into eachothers eyes for a couple of seconds. The temperature was rising.

"Have a nice dinner." Sheldon said with a rough voice. Clearly losing his nerve at trying to be equally as seductive.

"Captain!" Penny yelled after him, Sheldon turned his head "Is any table good enough?" she asked while patting the table where she was sitting.

Sheldon gulped and turned, he felt way out of his league.

Penny frowned, that's the first time she didn't get the response she'd hoped for by doing something like this.

_"Oh God."_ She suddenly remembered Sheldon telling her what he thought of coitus.

_"He probably feels very insecure and uncertain about things and here I am pushing him while he doesn't know what to expect. Come on Penny, back off a bit, give him some time."_

* * *

The next day they woke to the sound of the alarm. They got all dressed in a matter of seconds and ran off to their work places. Penny just ran to Sheldon's work space. It was filled with men and women following computer movements. Sheldon was speaking to the Colonel and other important people.

Anne stood beside her. "What's happening?" Penny asked her friend.

"It has begun... We're in a titanium layered bunker in the safest zone there is in North America, but we will still feel it."

"What are they tracking on the computers?"

"The hits in this area, but also the rest of the world. They're getting signals from every part of the world and they try to make sense in this chaos to know what's exactly going on."

At that moment Sheldon passed her without a glance talking into a phone in... Was that Russian?

"Attention crew!" Nightingale's voice boomed through the speakers "We will feel minor tremblings from earthquakes passing through our area. We're quite safe, but still have to keep an eye out for possible cracks in our structures. Our world as we know it, is finally beginning at its end and hopefully we can all ride it out. The Ice Age is covering most of Canada now and is still growing more south. Earthquakes have ruined the entire West Coast, volcanoes at Hawaii and Yellowstone have erupted. Tornadoes are destructing the East Coast. The President is in a safe place, but most of the White House has been flattened to the ground. We estimate,for now, more than 25 million people who have lost their lives and the death toll will surely escalate. Concentrate on your work, do what you must do and pray for the people out there."

Penny wanted to cry, after almost two weeks of being here, she almost convinced herself of having a normal life. But the reality check came sooner then she thought. People were dying out there! Anna held her hand when they made their way to the cafetaria for breakfast. Not many were there and almost none were eating. Penny couldn't take a bite out of her bread.

"All those people..." she started.

A hand landed on her shoulder, startled she turned.

"Some of them will survive. We must remain strong and carry on. Humanity depends on us. You can do this Penny." Sheldon said with a soft gaze.

"Sheldon..." Penny's voice broke off "Hold me?" she said in an almost childlike voice.

With a little bit of hesitation he nodded and sat down besides her. She crawled into his lap and stuffed her face under his chin. Sheldon awkwardly put his arms around her and stroked her back softly up and down.

"Oh Sheldon..." Penny cried in his shirt.

"There there." He murmured.

Meanwhile Leonard was watching the scene from the entrance with burning eyes and clenching fists.


End file.
